Issue #269 / Apr 2023

Highlights:

Social media tools connect the world, bringing us the latest news and commentary from politicians, movie stars, community leaders, and remote friends. But the tracking and data mining of the commercial social media platforms has left many users searching for a better option. This month we dive down into the alternative universe for social media users: the Fediverse.

SERVICE: Welcome

Identity Matters

The company behind Facebook just announced a new premium subscription model, where you pay for your Facebook account and the payment includes some add-on services that you don't currently receive.

SERVICE: This Month's DVD

EndeavourOS Cassini 22.12 and Debian 11.6 "bullseye"

NEWS: News

In the news: KDE Plasma 5.27; SparkyLinux 6.6; Escuelas Linux 8.0; LibreOffice 7.5 Loaded with New Features and Improvements; The Next Major Release of Elementary OS; KDE Plasma 5.27 Beta; Netrunner OS 23; New Linux Distribution Built for Gamers; and System76 Beefs Up Popular Pangolin Laptop. 

NEWS: Kernel News

Chronicler Zack Brown reports on the little links that bring us closer within the Linux kernel community.

NEWS: FOSDEM 2023

A return to in-person attendance at FOSDEM 2023

After two years online, crowds of FLOSS supporters returned to Brussels in early February for FOSDEM 2023. Reminiscent of a class reunion, the FOSDEM keynote program was jam packed with goodies.

: Fediverse Introduction

Introduction to the Fediverse

Do you have to you give up your privacy to enjoy access to social media? The makers of the Fediverse say no.

: diaspora*

Stay connected with diaspora*

You don't need Facebook to keep up with your friends online. With diaspora*, you get a similar experience without the spying.

: Mastodon

A deep dive into Mastodon

Get started with free microblogging, interact with others who share you interests, and even help expand the Fediverse with your own Mastodon instance.

: PeerTube

Getting started with PeerTube

PeerTube, the Fediverse's video platform, offers a decentralized, open source way to watch videos and live stream your own content. We'll show you how to get started and even set up your own instance.

NEWS: Pixelfed

A decentralized photo sharing platform

Pixelfed offers an interesting alternative to centralized, algorithm-driven, commercial photo sharing services.

: EuroLinux

A customizable distro with better support

EuroLinux offers enterprise class software with support from real engineers for a fair price. Bruce talks to the developers behind this RHEL-based distribution.

IN-DEPTH: Pathfinder

Get hiking suggestions from your recorded tours

When Mike Schilli is faced with the task of choosing a hiking tour from his collection of city trails, he turns to a DIY program trained to make useful suggestions.

IN-DEPTH: toot

Using Mastodon from the command line

If you are looking for a Twitter alternative, toot lets you interact with Mastodon from the command line.

IN-DEPTH: Appointment Scheduler

An open source appointment manager

If you have a business that requires customers to make an appointment in advance for services, letting them request the appointment via Easy!Appointments can free up your phone line.

IN-DEPTH: Multifactor Authentication with SSH

Integrating Google Authenticator with SSH logins

The Google Authenticator PAM module allows you to use time-based Google Authenticator passwords with various Linux services, including SSH.

: SMath

Free MathCAD alternative for Linux

Present complex equations with intermediate steps, graphics, plots, and results in SMath.

: Privacy Appliances

Four Raspberry Pi advertisingand tracking blockers

A Raspberry Pi with the right software filters out annoying ads and nasty trackers for end devices on your local network.

NEWS: Introduction

This month in Linux Voice.

LINUX VOICE: maddog's Doghouse

A path to Linux

Linux can be a great new option for users from Windows XP owners to students with a range of interests.

LINUX VOICE: Linux Boot Process

Understanding the Linux startup process

If you want to troubleshoot startup issues, you need a clear understanding of how Linux boots.

LINUX VOICE: FOSSPicks

Graham has been playing with the source code to the amazing Mutable Instruments Eurorack modules. The company is closing, but every firmware to every product is open source. Merci, Émilie Gillet.

LINUX VOICE: Image Wizardry

Professional graphics and photo editing at the command line

The free ImageMagick graphics toolbox brings the feature set of a full-blown image processor to the command line.